Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal say the White House has signed off on the latest draft of a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill. It would let the United States put high tariffs on countries that keep buying Russian oil and natural gas.
The Trump administration’s backing was first reported by CBS News, citing sources. A Ukrainian official told the network that Graham passed the news to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. Zelenskyy, who met Graham in Kyiv that day, wrote on X that “Lindsey briefed me on the work underway in Congress on the relevant bill.” White House spokespeople did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
What the senators said
Graham is a Republican from South Carolina, Blumenthal a Democrat from Connecticut. Both argued that Ukraine is turning the tide on the battlefield and that Russian President Vladimir Putin has to be brought to the table. Graham told CBS that Putin’s constant attacks weigh on Mr. Trump’s thinking, and that the president has found Ukraine’s recent battlefield success persuasive.
Four senators, Graham, Blumenthal, Democrat Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Republican Roger Wicker of Mississippi, welcomed the agreement and said they expect to roll out the legislation “very soon.” In a joint statement they said:
“As Russia intensifies its slaughter of civilians, it is imperative that the legislative and executive branches work together to create tools to exact a heavy price on those who buy Russian oil and natural gas, fueling the Putin war machine.”
Votes and timing
Nothing is settled in the Senate. Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota told the senators earlier that he would move the bill once they had the votes, and the chamber returns to Washington on Monday. Blumenthal had no vote count yet but said he believes Democrats will support it. He also credited timing: oil prices have fallen since the war with Iran cooled off, which makes the decision easier to take.
How quickly tariffs would take effect after the bill became law is not clear.
Blumenthal said the sanctions push was not the only gain for Ukraine this week. He said Zelenskyy handled his meetings with Trump at the NATO summit skillfully, coming away with a long-sought license to produce and Trump’s approval for U.S. purchases of Ukrainian drones. Zelenskyy had pressed Trump for the license in May on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
Sources
- Trump admin. to support heavy tariffs on Russian oil in effort to end Ukraine war, sources say
- Trump administration backs bill for heavy tariffs on Russian oil to pressure Moscow
